It was on a Sunday morning in June that we went across the Elbe bridge into Germany's largest seaport Hamburg, but my joy was of short duration. A policeman arrested me for begging, and I landed in a basement cell in the Untersuchungs Gefangniss (Investigations prison) as its sole occupant.
A guard brought me a bag of coffee beans and two dish pans. He showed me how to sort the beans, the good to go into one of the two pans, the broken, black beans and little stones in the other, and put the good beans into a separate bag.
Now I had something which I did not have since I left Nurnberg, work, food, and shelter, but I was deprived of my liberty and companions and my tears moistened the coffee beans.
On Sunday I had to go to the prison church, it appeared to be in a semi-circle each prisoner was in a box, we could see the preacher but nothing else. About 5 days have passed since I have been put into this basement cell, my case had not been heard, no court and no judge, I must have been forgotten. To be alone 24 hours a day seemed to be 24 weeks, and I planned to end my lonesomeness. While I stood on the table, testing the pipes on the ceiling to find out if they would hold me, the door opened and the keeper pulled me from the table and slapped my face. He then put me in a cell with another juvenile, who was a native of Hamburg and a ship boiler cleaner by trade. Now I had someone to talk to, but could hardly understand him because he spoke a dialect.
One day he said we will soon be out of here, because there is a Cholera epidemic in the city. How he knew I could not guess, but it was true. Eleven days after my arrest I was finally brought before the court. I was given 3 days, to be deducted from the eleven days served and discharged. Back to the basement to have our clothes and shoes sprinkled with disinfectant and then OUT to freedom once more.
I went back to my former lodging, the Hergerge zur Heimat in the Thal Strasse, there I learned that there was an epidemic in the city, and it was still time to get out. The nearest boundary was Altoona, but was refused because I could not prove that I lived there. There was a steam street car that ran from Hamburg to Wandsbeck. At Wandsbeck I meet the same fate as in Altoona. I found a third way to get out of Hamburg over the Elbe bridge and back to Harburg, but the entrance was blocked by military police. Here I was, out of jail but imprisoned in a city.
It was not as bad as I feared. Notices were posted to avoid the disease. Smoke and drink alcohol, avoid shaking hands and kissing, drink only boiled water. Cold coffee and tea was served at all police and Fire stations. Relief stations were established, at one of these stations in the St. Pauli district I found a long line of applicants.
There were many Rhein wine bottles on the committee table, and after giving my pedigree, I was given 6 meal tickets to the municipal restaurant, a top hat and an order for 5 bundles of kindling wood. I gave the kindling wood order to an old lady in the waiting line, and took the high hat to the Hergerge. There was much joy when I arrived, they kept on adjusting the hat until the rim rested on my shoulder.
Drink alcohol was the motto, and retail liquor stores had a good business for a time. Longshoremen and others soon found a way to get free drinks.
They asked for a drink, laid their 10 Pfenig on the bar and told the barkeeper that they had such pain in their stomach (the first symptom of cholera), the barman said it was on the house and wiped the glass into a dishpan to be sterilized. The good time did not last long, and the coin with the glass went into the dishpan to be sterilized. There were many drunks.
A story was told about a chimney sweeper who had a bigger load on than he was able to carry, so he laid down on the sidewalk to ease his load. Taking him for dead, he was placed into a Moving van with other dead to the cemetery. While the van rolled over the citys cobblestones, the chimney sweeper awoke from his souse, and found himself among the dead. The walls of the moving vans being padded he pounded on the roof of the van with his fists. The driver believing the dead came to life again, hit his horses to hasten to the cemetery, shouting that the dead came to life again. Opening the moving van, the chimney sweeper was the first and only one out. The grave diggers assumed it was the devil, dropped their shovels and jumped the cemetery walls.
I could never learn if it was true, but it was the only humorous tale in this sad times.
The pay for removing the dead was 10 Mark a day, and later increased to 20 Mark. My application for a job was rejected because I was a minor, but I managed to earn 4 Mark for carrying two dead children out of a flat, where 4 people were dead. Those that I saw were curled up like a snake, fingers in the palm of their hands, knees almost under their chins. The moving vans were painted black, the dead were straightened out, rolled into a bed sheet and into the moving van. It sometimes only took 3 to 4 hours to turn a healthy person into a corpse.
One day I saw an elderly lady carrying two baskets full of plums on a shoulder tree. My offer to carry them was awarded with a bag of plums. I sat on a park bench near the Circus Renz building to enjoy my plums, when suddenly they were knocked out of my hands by a man saying "Don't you know that you must not eat raw fruit?" I replied "one eats what one has." He gave me a Mark and told me to buy a meal. After he was gone I gathered my plums, wiped them with my sleeve, and they were ready to eat again.
One night at the Herberge a lodger took sick in the middle of the night, among a dozen other sleepers. We had to make more noise than the sick man to arouse the the manager. He was afraid to come into the room but promised to call for help, which did come hours later. We were told that he died on the way to the barracks.
But what was the cause of the epidemic? Some said it was carried to Hamburg by immigrants from Russia, others said it was caused by the unsanitary conditions in the city. Old Hamburg's houses have streets in front of them and canals in the rear. Bargemen pushed their barges with long poles through the city, and sanitary laws were often violated by housewives who emptied their bedpots into the canal, and many a bargeman was doused with its contains.
There was no opportunity for work, begging was the only livelihood but people were afraid, they either refused you or laid the bread or coin on the table for you to pick up. Relief stations were not what they should have been. The police were too busy to bother with petty law breakers, they were not welcome in jail either because of the risk of someone carrying the disease into jail.
The only way to rid ourselves of lice and enjoy a shower was to go to the Asylum for homeless men in the Brauerstrasse, but there was a drawback, while we enjoyed the shower our clothes were bundled and put into a dry heat room, which not only shrunk our clothes but harmed its durability.
Gradually the epidemic lost its force and the gates of the city were opened for the imprisoned to depart and the deserters to return. My next destination was Lubeck about 65 Kilometer from Hamburg, and made that trip in one day. In Lubeck I found a few days work demolishing wooden fair buildings, and pulling nails from boards and lumber. There were but few ships in Lubeck, so I went to Kiel in the hope of working on the Kiel canal which was under construction, but no luck. While begging in the nearby town of Holtenau I was surprised by a policeman; when he asked for my papers I turned and ran toward the Kiel bay, and when he followed I ran into the water up to my waist. He came as far as the edge and ordered me in the name of the law to submit to arrest. I told him that I would rather drown than submit to arrest. There I stood in the water with my papers in my hand, and the law on shore. After a while he started to walk away, and I in the opposite direction until it was safe for me to leave the water. Back to Kiel I went; in order to save money I slept in the Herberge with another tramp who was afflicted with the Kraze, a disease unknown to me and was contagious. The first symptoms were blisters between my fingers and itching. I was on my way back to Hamburg again when I had them all over my body. In Hamburg I went to the Polizei Arzt (police doctor). He said show me your hands and spread your fingers. One glance and I had an order to go to the hospital. There I was given a bath, had my body covered with some salve, then was given a horse blanket, and put into a windowless room, the walls covered with tile. When I asked the men in there the reason, they said so that you cannot climb the walls. It was no joke, the steam heated room in the summer with mattresses on the floor the itch was almost unbearable. After several days I was given another bath then put into a clean bed, my body was healing from the blisters.
Hamburg had changed since my first visit. Things went back to normal again. One day I was begging in a store selling smoked fish. I was given some fish that were damaged during smoking. When a traveling butcher went to a butcher store in search for work, he said to the boss "God's greetings to the boss and fellow butchers, a strange butcher is asking for work", then the boss would say that he needs no help, and gives him a cut of bologna which he sells again to pay for his nights lodging. Now I had more broken fish than I could eat, why can't I sell them like the butcher his bologna? I soon sold my fish. The next day I went back to the fish store to ask the proprietor to sell me all his broken fish, and he said he would. Sometime he took money and sometimes not.
One day I was sitting on a Park bench near the city theater counting my Pfenigs from the sale, there sat a man next to me watching me, he showed me his badge and said that I was under arrest. At the police station they asked my business and I said I was selling smoked fish. I was arrested on suspicion of begging.
The fish dealer when asked said he had no agents, so he was summoned to court to face me. When he saw me he laughed out loud and said "Yes yes let him go, he is the one who buys all my smoked fish that have no head or tail." But being summoned to court he discontinued our business.
Back to begging again, and soon I landed a second time in jail and was given the job of sorting coffee beans until they had my pedigree from home. After about 10 days I stood before the Schoffen Gericht.
In the Schoffen Gericht the judge invites one or two citizen to sit with him and listed to the defense of the poor bum, and then consult with the citizen as to punishment. The conversation may go something like this, Judge - you have been accused of begging. Why don't you work rather than beg? Defendant - I am willing to work, I have tried hard to find employment, but being a stranger in the city, and with so many unemployed, is is hard for a stranger to find work, and begging is better than stealing. The judge whispered with the citizens and turning to me said "Would you work if you had an opportunity?" I said that I would be more than glad. The judge then said, this Gentleman (on of the two citizens) has offered to give you a job. I was given an address that was on the Klosterstrasse, and was told to be there on Monday morning, and I was free to leave the jail. This being Saturday, there was still two days before I was to report for work.
I was given about 30 Pfenig for sorting coffee beans. Now I had another problem, should I sleep in the Herberge for 30 Pfenig to avoid being arrested as a vagrant, or spend the money for food to avoid being arrested as beggar. I decided to spend it for lodging, I could not risk another arrest with a job in view. My hunger was broken when another pal gave me some bread after I told him that I was afraid to beg for fear I would be arrested before I got the job.
It was early Monday morning when I appeared at the Klosterstrasse address. It was a tavern, still closed. When if finally opened I was told the proprietor was still sleeping, and to come back later. At last I met him, he asked me where I had spent the nights, I told him that one nights lodging was paid with the money earned in jail, the other I had sold my knife. Then he asked me if I had breakfast and I told him no, he then ordered his daughter to bring a cup of coffee with two Rundstucken (rolls). After I had finished he asked if I would have another and I said yes. More coffee with Rundstucken. He asked again and I felt ashamed but he said you do want more don't you? I nodded my head and he ordered the same again. After I had finished my third cup with rolls he said I want you to have as much coffee with Rundstucken until you say that you had enough. He did not ask any more, he merely ordered. During Breakfast he asked me about my life and plans. I told him that I would like to go to sea. I don't know how much coffee and rolls I had but he told a customer that I had seven cups of coffee and 14 Rundstucken. After breakfast he took me to the back yard and showed me a pile of wood that had to be cut and split. While I was cutting wood I could see him watching me from behind a curtain. After a while he came out and asked how I like the work. I told him very much, and was sorry that the pile was not bigger.
During dinner he told me that he intends to fire his waiter for not getting up early in the morning, and wanted to know if I would like the job. I pointed to my ragged clothes, and told him that I had no experience. He said that was not important, and if my answer was yes he would take the risk. He told me to go to the washroom and wash up, then he gave me a note to the barber whose address he had told me. The barber gave me a hair cut, and after I came back he gave me another note, and sent me to an outfitter for clothes. There I was given a complete waiters outfit, when I came back I was shown to my room and told to change into my uniform.
When I came downstairs, he looked me over, shook his head and said "What a change, what a change."
I was give a purse with 10 Mark in change, with which to pay at the bar for drinks ordered, and collect from the customers. he told his guests how he happened to find me, and not to forget to give me a top. At the end of the day he appeared to be pleased with me and I too had many tips.
Now I was to return the 10 Mark and the surplus was mine. After counting 10 Mark I had exactly 10 Pfenig left for me. My trouble was that I could not remember the amount for food and drinks, when they wanted to pay, and I had to tell them so, and they simply took advantage of me. My boss was very angry about them and said they were cheap skates and crooks.
He gave me a suit of clothes that had been his sons, and now I was well fixed. My name was also changed, I was called Karl. About six weeks after I started work, my boss was in conversation with a customer or visitor, he called me over and said "Karl, do you remember having seen this man?" I said that I remember having seen him, but do not remember where. He laughed and said it was the Judge from the Schoffen Gericht, who had come to learn how I was doing. My boss said that he was very pleased with me.
After about 3 months of employment my boss informed me that he has sold his business and that he would get me another job as waiter, but I found that a waiters business was not profitable for me because my memory did not improve, and I was cheated right and left. My ambition was to go to sea. He wished me luck and said to come and see him whenever I would be in Hamburg.
Hamburg, like Bremerhaven would not allow juveniles on Ships without written parents consent. Another sea-going enthusiast suggested to go back to Bremerhaven, there was a better chance to get work as Longshoreman than in Hamburg, and maybe something would turn up, so back we went to Bremerhaven again. We did get a job unloading cotton from a British ship. Pay was 3 Mark for a 10 hour day. It was only for a few days, but every little bit helps.
One day I got a job loading coal into the bunkers of a British ship. The gang was hired and paid by the car load. If the ship needed 18 carloads of coal, the pay was one mark per man and carload. Number of men depending on how far the car was from the ship. The gang hired was paid after work had been finished. Anyone quitting before work was finished would not receive any pay. Those remaining to finish the work would divide his share among them. I could not see the hardship involved, I only saw the 10 Mark, which was more than 3 days pay.
Coal from the railroad cars was shoveled into baskets, and carried on the shoulder to the ship. I was assigned to the basket gang, and being contract work, one had to work fast to unload a car in one hour. Those who had done this work before had shoulder pads and I had none. After a few hours my shoulder was sore and swollen, my folded coat was of little help. I was tempted to quit, but if I quit, I would have worked for nothing, and I needed the money so bad. There was only one thing to do, carry on, and carry on I did but how. That was the most torturous day in my life, I was sore for a week.
It was often impossible to get work. Once I had a job for one day a week, turning the flywheel of a printing press for a Protestant weekly paper called "Der Pilger zur Heimat" (The Pilgrim to the Homestead) for two Mark a day. Not enough to pay for one weeks lodging.
Another time I worked a few days in dry dock, scraping barnacles from a sailing ship.
Winter was the hardest time for us poor bums, there was hardly a chance to earn enough to pay for a nights lodging. Some winter nights we slept in a haystack, and sometimes they were raided by the police. They would push their sabers into the hay slowly, so not to injure the bum if he lays below.
During the day we could stay in the Christian asylum and enjoy the warm room, but about 8 P.M. the Herbergsvater (manager) piously folding his hands announced, 'We are now preparing for our evening service, all those who have not paid for their nights lodging are requested to depart.' He did not invite us to stay and listen to his prayers.
Well there was another Herberge that was not Christian, and sold alcohol, there for 5 Pfenig, if you had them, you could spend the night in the warm back room, and sleep on the table or on the floors which was still better than the haystack near the farm, and run the risk of being raided by the police.
The winter passed without being arrested and opportunities for jobs were getting better. It was in the fall of 1893 my pal and I were unloading cotton from the British steamer Ormesby, I cannot remember the Homeport, it was either North Shields or Hartlepool. My pal said that the ship was to sail for Galveston, and the only way to get to America was as a blind passenger (stowaway). We decided to hide in the coal bunker, we had a bottle of water and our pockets filled with pumpernickel bread. We were told the ship was to sail the next day, which it didn't, but the next. From former stowaways we were told not to come out until ship stopped to discharge the pilot and then wait another hour or longer.
When we did come out we thought we spent a week in that dark hole. We crawled over the coal pile into the fire room, the fireman delivered us into the engine room, and the engineer delivered us to the captain on the bridge. We did not know what the captain said, but it was plain we were not welcome. We soon learned the reason why.
continue reading: Grandpa in England.